Tobacco-stemming machine



July 28, 1925.

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J. O. MORRIS TOBACCO STEMMING MACHINE Filed sept. 2o, 1922 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 PatentedJuly 28, 1925;

UNITED STATES JOHN O. MORRIS, F WASHING-TQN, DISTRICT 0F COLUMBIA.

TOBACCO-S'TEMMING- MACHINE.

Application filed September 20, 1922. Serial No. 589,335.

To all whom t may concern:

Be it known that I, JOHN O. MORRIS, a citizen of the United States, residing at Washington, in the District o-f Columbia, have invented new and useful Improvements in Tobacco-Stemming Machines, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to tobacco stemming machines, and its object is to provide a machine which 'will not only stem the tobacco, but will also effectively straighten out the leaves, so that they will be delivered in proper condition for use as cigar fillers without subsequent hand manipulation.

The machine comprises the following essential elements: l, stem-butting means; 2, stem-stripping means; 3, leaf-straightening means.

Machines have heretofore been designed with leaf-straightening means but, as far as I am aware, they have not proved a commercial practical success.

I have devised and incorporated in the present machine what I believe to be an entirely novel type of leaf-straightening means, whereby the operation is performed with certainty and etliciency.

A machine embodying my present invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawing, in which, y

Fig. 1 is a side elevation of the machine;

Fig. 2 is a plan view of the same;

Fig. 3 is a vertical cross-section'on line 3-3 of Fig. 2;

Fig. 4 is a plan view, on a larger scale, of theI stem-butting means;

Fig. 5 is a side elevation of thesame; v

Fi 6 is a central section of one of the stemiutting brushes;

Fig. 7 is an elevation of the stem-stripping rolls; v

Fig. 8 is a partial vertical section through the leaf-straightening means;

Fig. 9 is a partial plan view of the same, and j Fig. 10 is a cross-Section through the stripi. ping belts.

1 is the machine frame and 2 the bracket supporting theftable and one end of the feeding means for the tobacco, comprising the travelling belts 3 and 4. 5 is the gage board against which the butt ends of the stems are engaged bythe operato-r. The belts 3 and 4, carry the tobacco along until they are engaged, a short distance back from the butt ends of vthe stems, by a pair of travelling chains 7, the inner adjacent plies of which can be pressed towards each other by the adjustable backing-pieces 8; the tension of the chains can also be adjusted by the screws 9. While the tobacco is thus gripped, the ends of the stems are carried between the butting'brushes 10, which are set at an angle, as shown, (which can be adjusted by shifting the bracket 11 and then clamping it to the frame by bolt 12, passing through slot 13 in the bracket). The brushes 10 and chains 7 are driven by the gearing indicated as a whole by. 14 and shown in detail in Figures 4 and 5. These brushes are wooden cylinders carrying tufts of bristles 15, beveled ofi' at the entrance end of the tobacco, as shown at 16; preferably alternate tufts are made of wire and the intermediate tufts of tampico, and their effect is to strip the stems bare for a short distance back from the butt ends. Y

From this hutting means, the tobacco pasess to the stripping means, consisting of the belts 17, one'or both of which carries card teeth, as described in greater detail later on, and at the same time to the conical stempulling rolls 18.l Immediately after the `bared ends of the stems'are gripped by said rolls, the ends of the bunched up leaf portions from which the stems have been pulled, pass Onto the straightening means, consisting of an inclined perforated plate 20, forming the hypotenuse of a casing 21, connected to anair exhaustion means 23, and a fine mesh wire belt 22, traveling over said plate in close proximity thereto. The operation vof this straightening `means is as follows: The tips of the leaves are drawn by the suction against the travelling belt 22,

are fia-ttened out more or less by the suction,

and are carried downwardly by the belt, after the stems have been pulled out by the rolls 18; the leaves fall off the belt at its lower end into any suitable receptacle placed to receive them, into which theyarrive in straightened condition. Immediately above the upper end of the plate 2() and beltI 22, is a fixed strip of wire mesh 24, under which the leaves bunch up as the stem is pulled out and which holds the leaves down so that Y they are engaged by the. belt 22, which pulls them out stralght, as` stated.

I prefer to use as the stripping belts, a

lower card belt 17 of the usual kind, with a central longitudinal space or groove in its teeth, in which a wire 26 is laid, and

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a triangular upper belt 27, the base of which coacts with the lower belt and is provided with a sinuously arranged Wire 28 secured thereto by staples 29, see Fig-10, said wire travelling in said groove in the lower belt. These wires serve to hold the leaves firmly down onto or into the card teeth of the lower belt and prevent any of the leaves being drawn out with the stem. If desired, both belts may` be constructed as I have described the upper belt, and no card teeth lll be used at all on the lower belt.

Any broken leaves, or leaves which happen not to be engaged by the belt 22, are carried away by the conveyor belt i and delivered out of the machine.

I do not think it necessary to describe in detail the gear and chain drives of the machine, as they will be evident from the drawings and do not differ materially from similar drives in prior stemming machines.

I-Iaving thus described my invention what I claim is:

1. In a tobacco-stemming machine, the combination of stem-butting means, leafstripping means, and leaf-straightening means, the latter two means acting simultaneously in opposite directions.

2. In a tobacco-stemming machine, the combination with leaf-stripping means, of a perforated belt travellingr away from said means, and means to create a vacuum beneath said belt, whereb-y the stripped leaves are straightened and delivered in that condition by said belt.

3. In a tobacco-stemming machine, the combination with leaf-stripping means, of`a downwardly inclined perforated plate, a wire-mesh belt travelling over said plate, and means to create air suctionthrough said belt and plate, whereby the stripped leaves are straightened and delivered in that condition by said belt.

4. In a tobacco-stemming machine, the combination of a pair of conical rolls adapted to grip the stems and pull them out of the leaves, belts cooperating therewith to retain and strip the leaves, and means acting to deliver the leaves in straightened condition on the other side of the machine from the stems.

5. In a tobacco-stemming machine, the combination of a pair of conical rolls adapted to grip the stems and pull them out of the leaves, belts cooperating therewith to retain and strip the leaves, means acting to deliver the leaves in straightened condition on the other side of the machine from the stems, said means comprising a downwardly inclined travelling perforated belt, and means to create an air suction therethrough.v

6. In a tobacco-stemming machine, the combination with stemming and leafstraightening means acting in opposite directions, of stem-butting means to strip the ends of the stems prior to the stemming operation.

7. In a tobacco-stemmin machine, the combination with stemming and leafstraightening means acting in opposite directions, of stem-butting'means to strip the ends of the stems prior to the stemming operation, said last mentioned means comprising two rotary brushes set at an angle to the path of travel of the tobacco, and means to adjust the said angle. i

8. In a tobacco-stemming machine, the combination with stemming and leafstraightening means acting in opposite directions, of stem-butting means to strip the ends of the stems prior to the stemming operation, said last'mentioned means comprising two rotary brushes set at an angle to thc path of travel of the tobacco, each brush having alternate tufts of wire bristles and tampico bristles.

9. In a machine of the class described, leaf-stripping means comprising a belt disposed in a triangle having an operative face, and a wire secured by staples to its base or operative face. i

10. In a machine of the class described, the combination with the stemming or leafstripping means, of a perforatedl travelling surface to straighten the stripped leaves, and air suction means to hold the leaves down on said surface.

1l. In a machine of the class described, the combination with the frame, of conveycr belts to carry the tobacco through the inachine, a pair of chains to grip the leaves near the stem end, a pair of tufted brushes to strip the butt ends ofthe stems while held by said chains, a pair of conical rolls to pull the stems out of the-leaves, a pair of stripping belts to retain the leaves while the stems are being pulled out, an inclined perforated plate, a wire-mesh belt travelling thereover in the opposite direction to that in which the stems are pulled out, and suction means to hold the leaves down on said wire-mesh belt, whereby the leaves are delivered in straightened condition.

12. A tobacco-stemming and leaf-straightening machine, comprising the combination with tobacco-feeding means and stein-butting means, of stemming means and straightening means arranged to operate simultaneously in opposite directions, the former delivering the stems at the rear of the machine and the latter delivering thc leaves straightened at the front of the machine. and said straightening means consisting of a perforated plate, a wire-mesh belt traveling thereover, and suction means to draw air through said plate and belt.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand.

JOHN O. MORRIS. 

